Get that measles vaccine!

I have and will continue to talk about GMOs because I really hope to tell the other side of the story.   I feel the positive and fact-filled stories do not grab the headlines as much as the negative propaganda that fills websites. When I surf the web, I often find another topic that grabs headlines with lots of propaganda I do not necessarily agree with and that is vaccines.  Should you vaccinate your kids or should you as a parent have the right to keep them vaccine free?

I personally think all kids should have vaccines.  Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I know that there are many that disagree with vaccines.  The only thing I can do is try to convince you otherwise through science.

In a recent Science publication, some great research shows a great example of why vaccines are so important.  The measles vaccine protects our kids from getting measles and, in my mind just as importantly, protects other family's children from measles.  If you choose not to get a vaccine, not only are you putting your own child at risk, but then you can get a lot of other people sick too.  We just saw the measles outbreak in Disney World not too long ago that is associated with well over 100 children getting measles.

According to WHO, measles is one of the leading causes of death in young children.  There are many people that will get  measles and recover, but measles is known to suppress the immune system.  It is like the immune system gets memory loss for a while and forgets how to fight infections.  The Science publication shows that if you had measles that period of a weakened immune system can last 2-3 years.  During that time people are much more likely to get other infections that can lead to death. So if you get measles and recover you may not be completely out of the woods.

The measles vaccine provides so many benefits.  Not only does it prevent you from getting the disease, but it prevents other infections from doing harm.  Let the numbers do the talking.  Before widespread vaccinations we are talking about 2.6 million measles deaths in 1980.  In 2013 it is there were only 145,700 deaths.  If that is not proof of the benefit of the vaccine I don't know what is.

References:
Science Abstract:   http://www.sciencemag.org/content/348/6235/694.abstract
Disney World Outbreak:  http://www.webmd.com/children/vaccines/news/20150316/low-vaccination-rates-likely-behind-disney-measles-outbreak-study
Facts on Measles:  http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/